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  1. #1
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    Default Do Superman’s trunks and/or logo have a metallic or satin finish?

    My brain interprets Superman’s trunks as metallic/satin. Under certain artists like Jurgens, the chest logo looks metallic to me. Meanwhile, the cape and boots generally are NOT satin or metallic.

    I don’t see how TAS Superman’s trunks or the blue bits of BTAS Batman get interpreted as anything OTHER THAN dark metallic colors. IMHO if you’re going to do the red stripe on black trunks with a TAS Superman toy, you might as well cel shade the whole figure, which would look cool IMHO.

    But I’ve never seen any statue or figure or official real life costume go the satin/metallic route despite Superman’s trunks generally looking much higher contrast than the rest of his costume since the Golden Age.

    Alex Ross even typically renders the fabric of the whole suit much like Reeve’s suit. Except when he makes the whole suit metallic.

  2. #2
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
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    I always imagine the emblem as whatever material the suit is, as in, they're not separate, but it's like printed on the fabric.

    As for the trunk... I guess I can imagine satin though that's not my first thought. It's still bright in color, but not shiny like satin. I mainly imagine it like a bright red lifeguard swimming trunk... so... polyester?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Restingvoice View Post
    I always imagine the emblem as whatever material the suit is, as in, they're not separate, but it's like printed on the fabric.

    As for the trunk... I guess I can imagine satin though that's not my first thought. It's still bright in color, but not shiny like satin. I mainly imagine it like a bright red lifeguard swimming trunk... so... polyester?
    I always saw the classic suit as a single material (except the boots and belt). The material was "dyed" different colors but the chest/shirt was a solid one piece with the symbol stitched into the fabric. And the trunks were either a separate garment of the same material or even with the legs simply part of the same garment as the "trunks" rather than one being worn over the other.

    Think of it as high-end longjohns as opposed to a layered outfit.

  4. #4
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    I hate that metallic look, especially when it's in live action. It beggars the imagination that Superman or Supergirl would put a heavy piece of metal on their chest--granted they're super so it doesn't weigh a lot to them, but I don't know what reason would compell them to do something so ridiculous. Nor should it be some sort of relief sculpture--it should be cloth and not a raised surface. It shouldn't be satin unless that's what the whole costume is made of (Dean Cain's outfit, for instance, was some sort of shiny material). Generally, I despise all the glowy, glossy, lens flare effects in comics and on screen. I think in the future that will be one of those things that makes something look dated--because it's been so overdone in the recent past.

  5. #5
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    According to Busiek on Twitter, the trunks (and only the trunks) are a velour style textured fabric and so is Daredevil’s first all red costume. He made a compelling case with pictures when I asked.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Gerard View Post
    According to Busiek on Twitter, the trunks (and only the trunks) are a velour style textured fabric and so is Daredevil’s first all red costume. He made a compelling case with pictures when I asked.
    I didn't say they're velour-style! I said they're something that takes shadows like velour does, but it's velour (velour is kinda fuzzy, and I don't think Superman's trunks are fuzzy).

    velour-tracksuit-velvet-burgundy-red-logo_1-600x600.jpg
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  7. #7
    Incredible Member magha_regulus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kurt Busiek View Post
    I didn't say they're velour-style! I said they're something that takes shadows like velour does, but it's velour (velour is kinda fuzzy, and I don't think Superman's trunks are fuzzy).

    velour-tracksuit-velvet-burgundy-red-logo_1-600x600.jpg
    I can definitely see the trunks and the red on the symbol being a velvety type of texture.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kurt Busiek View Post
    I didn't say they're velour-style! I said they're something that takes shadows like velour does, but it's velour (velour is kinda fuzzy, and I don't think Superman's trunks are fuzzy).

    velour-tracksuit-velvet-burgundy-red-logo_1-600x600.jpg
    Duly corrected.

  9. #9
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    They're just the same material as the rest of the suit. Although I don't mind a raised S like the recent live action suits.

  10. #10
    Astonishing Member Adekis's Avatar
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    I mean, they can be, and I'm fine when they are, but I don't tend to see them as too distinct from the rest of the suit except when the artist is trying to get that across deliberately.
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    Superman's trunks were treated with a Code-approved chemical so that when you looked at them any objectionable areas were obscured with black. One might ask the question, if Superman stands in a forest and there are no eyes to look at him, do the trunks still turn black?

  12. #12
    Extraordinary Member superduperman's Avatar
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    Anyone else hear Zap Brannigan's voice in their head when they hear the word "velour"? I always pictured the Alex Ross look. Or the old Superboy TV show. I thought that one learned from the mistakes of the movies in terms of design.
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  13. #13
    Golux Kurt Busiek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by titansupes View Post
    They're just the same material as the rest of the suit.
    They don't wrinkle the same way, and they don't get shaded the same way, so they don't seem like it to me.

    There must have been a variety of different-weight baby blankets in that rocket...
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